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It was 60 days ago when the young forward stood on the Stadium of Light pitch, seeming perplexed as his coach scolded him over not reading a penetrating pass. At that point, as the club endured a six-game winless run, it wasn't clear whether his displays were a symptom or a cause of the side's more general malaise.

“When Rogers netted his second… Emery tore off his coat, threw his arms wide, and bellowed in delight.”

In the latest match, however, the touchline reaction proved to be much more joyous. After the in-form star drilled in his second strike to restore Villa's lead, the Spanish tactician discarded his jacket, opened his arms and bellowed. The Birmingham club marched on to a tenth straight victory and despite not winning any of their first six matches, find themselves just three points adrift of the leaders Arsenal.

Are They Serious Challengers?

This is a particularly tough question to answer. Past precedent, a general sense of the club, indicates otherwise. Additionally, they've rarely been completely commanding this season, even as the positive results have stacked up.

As per the data, in only two games has the team had an xG significantly higher than their opponents. For a side that have strung together 10 in a row, the Villans look curiously susceptible – yet currently the fine lines are going in their favour.

The Reliant Strategy

The current approach appears to be to engage in a shootout with an opponent before hoping their star man to bail them out with some clinical strikes. This was the case away to Leeds, it occurred against West Ham, and it happened against United.

His opener stemmed from an exquisite effort, bent precisely inside the post from a wide position. The follow-up goal proved to be a slight scruffier version of his first as he pounced on an Ollie Watkins lay-off.

“Perhaps Rogers’ right foot is becoming like Arjen Robben’s left: just because you know he’s going to whip the ball into the top corner doesn’t mean you can stop him.”

How Long Can This Continue?

Reason suggests otherwise. During the latest victory, Manchester United registered more efforts and more shots on target. The team has secured their last eight victories by a single goal. The defence has been breached in nearly all of those games.

A statistical correction may well be the most significant challenge the club have to face over the coming weeks. Their key man, surely, cannot keep on blasting the ball past despairing goalkeepers indefinitely.

A Case for Belief

Perhaps there is an alternative path whereby, rather than outcomes regressing to match displays, the team's displays improve to justify the wins. Vital cogs might still return to peak condition.

• The centre-forward could start scoring again.
• The attacking talent may rediscover the player he showed in Germany.
• Tyrone Mings and Pau Torres are set to regain fitness, bolstering a periodically leaky defensive unit.

Maybe within that lies the seeds for a sustained push, yet it seems unlikely cannot keep relying on Morgan Rogers.

Savoring the Moment

Yet, this was unforeseen. It seemed improbable Villa would sit in a Champions League place in December. And certainly two months ago, no one envisioned the young forward as the year closed would be spearheading a hunt for the title while establishing himself as a crucial player for the national team.

This remarkable period is to be savoured precisely because it seems so surreal. When the match-winner faced the home supporters at the final whistle orchestrating the applause, it was clear to be loving the experience. Which he fully merits. These runs of form do not happen often and should be relished.